Picture yourself at an Italian Bistro. Dusk is approaching and the table candle lamps are being lit. You’ve just been served a delicious bowl of mouthwatering Beef Bolognese coated pasta. A quick pinch and you come back to reality and it’s just you with your loved ones at home, enjoying this homemade recipe. Yep. It’s THAT good!
Bolognese, which is a style of ragout, is a hearty meat sauce made with beef (or any other meat), vegetables, and cooked down with wine and tomatoes. It is a high protein, high calorie sauce that pairs perfectly with pasta. So, let’s get into how you can make your own version at home.
Boil the Pasta
Bring a pot of water to boil with a generous pinch of salt. Once boiling, add in your pasta. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the pasta is cooked slightly less than al dente. Al dente means “to be able to bite.” You want the pasta a little undercooked because it will get more cooking time in the sauce at the end. Drain the pasta, making sure to reserve the pasta water. Then, set the pasta aside and move on to the sauce prep.
Prep and Sauce
Begin by collecting all of your ingredients. This makes things much easier as the recipe progresses. For prep, finely dice all of your vegetables with the exception of the bay leaf. Precision cuts aren’t mandatory because they will all but disappear into the sauce. However, the smaller the cuts, the faster the sauté and the more flavor the vegetables will impart.
When the prep work is done, heat a pan or wok with a little oil and add in all the vegetables leaving out the bay leaves and celery, which will be added in later. Once the vegetables are translucent (about 5 minutes), remove them from the pan and add in a tad more oil. Then, drop in the ground beef. Add in your seasonings and allow to cook, without stirring, until the beef develops some color. Next, mix together well and cook on high heat until the beef develops that same caramelization all over.
Pour in the red wine and reduce the heat, and allow the wine to reduce as well. Once this is achieved, add in all the remaining ingredients including the cooked vegetables, and combine. Keep the sauce on a medium to low heat and allow to reduce till thick. Season the sauce and correct if needed.
Your sauce is now ready. Simply add in the pasta with a splash of pasta water and combine one last time before serving.
Top with a garnish of basil or a sprinkle of grated parmesan and enjoy!
Pasta Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 200 Grams Ground Beef
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Whole Carrot Small
- 1 Whole Onion Small
- 1 Stalk Celery Small
- To Taste Salt and Pepper About a pinch of each
- 100 Ml Red Wine
- 200 Grams Canned Tomatoes
- 30 Grams Tomato Paste
- 1 Whole Bay Leaf
- 150 Grams Pasta
- 1/2 Tsp Chili Flakes
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water and drain. Reserve the pasta water.
- Chop the carrots, onion, garlic, and celery (stalk and leaves) into a fine dice.
- Heat a pan and sauté the vegetables except the celery leaves. Once translucent, move aside from the pan.
- In the same pan, add the ground beef and season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Allow to cook until colored and add in the red wine to deglaze.
- Once the wine reduces to a syrup, add the canned tomato, tomato paste, cooked vegetables, bay leaf, and celery leaves.
- Allow the mixture to simmer and reduce. Once the desired thickness has been reached, add in the cooked pasta with a splash of pasta water and mix together.
- Check and correct the seasoning and serve.
- Optionally, top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a basil leaf.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the wine mandatory or can it be replaced with something else?
The wine adds a flavorful body and roundness to the sauce that can’t be achieved with any other ingredient. It can be omitted if difficult to procure, but I strongly recommend using it.
- Won’t the tomato paste and canned tomato make this dish overly sour?
If the sauce is too sour when tasting, before adding the pasta sprinkle in some sugar to dial it back. Making sure to take time and brown the meat will also help in making the sauce less sour.
Tips to Improve or Alter the Recipe
- Pork, veal, lamb, or even chicken could be used in place of the beef. Some recipes even call for a mix of different meats.
- Add beef stock along with the wine for an extra depth of flavor.
- Dried herbs like oregano, basil, or mixed herbs can be added to season the meat.
Things to Serve With
This is a standalone dish so it doesn’t need an accompaniment. Make sure to sprinkle a healthy amount of grated parmesan cheese atop the pasta before eating to be truly transported to Italy.
Tips for Storage
The sauce can be made ahead of time, cooled, and then frozen prior to mixing the pasta in. It keeps for up to a month in the freezer and will be good for 3 days in the chiller.
Final Words
Impress your guests and loved ones with your Italian cooking prowess!
As always thanks for reading and be sure to keep your kitchen Hot and Salty.
